Did you know that May is Mental Health Awareness month? If you watch TV and don’t skip the commercials (unlike my parents who never watch commercials) perhaps you’ve seen the commercial with the man and woman sitting down for what looks like a meal at a restaurant. The gist of the commercial is for the viewer to understand that a personal struggling with mental illness needs to be able to talk about it if he or she chooses. Don’t stay silent, that’s the mantra for the campaign and I couldn’t agree more.

The statistics from 2011 stand clear: One in five adults struggles with a form of mental illness; one in ten young people will experience a period of major depression. As someone who struggles with depression I cannot tell you how freeing it is to speak openly about it. I’ve always been the kind of person who lives my … Read More

Since 2011, Kim Rosas, the blogger behind Dirty Diaper Laundry has coordinated and hosted the Flats and Handwashing Challenge. Originally, she created the Challenge as a series of blog posts to spread awareness that using cloth diapers does not have to break the bank. Discouraged by a news report she saw that depicted the high costs of diapering a child with disposable diapers, Kim wanted to prove that any family can use cloth diapers economically and still have the funds for their other every day needs. Kim writes on her Dirty Diaper Laundry blog,

“A quote from the LA Times: ”Cloth diapers are often not an option because they require frequent and expensive trips to the laundromat.” Ask the thousands of families making cloth diapers work who are considered “low-income” before making such statements. It can work, with a washer and without!”

One more month…supposedly. I have one more month until this baby arrives. So…what better question to ask than what’s in my hospital bag?

I started packing my hospital bag about a month ago when I experienced some annoying and (somewhat) concerning preterm contractions. It’s not that I was thinking I’d go into labor that early but I needed, okay wanted, something to do that was productive since my doctor wanted me to relax a bit. In my two labor and delivery experiences I’ve gone early so for the control freak in me early preparations work in my favor.

What’s in my bag?

Two nursing sports bra

Two fashionable hospital gowns. One is from this adorable Etsy shop, Mod Mum. (not pictured)

A few pairs of underwear; the hospital will have some super awesome postpartum underwear to go along with the gigantic pads for you to wear while you’re

Last year Guinness World Record officials verified that a 2012 record had been broken. This April 26th cloth diaper enthusiasts all over the world will gather to make history again.This year caretakers, parents, anyone who has a baby or toddler in cloth diapers will come together to change the most cloth diapers at once. There were 182 qualified locations in 15 different countries and the number to beat is 8, 301 diapers changed at the same time. So can it be done again? Will more than 8, 301 diapers be changed all at once?

You should join in the movement and help break the record at the Great Cloth Diaper Change (GCDC)! This year there are 240 registered change locations with 173 locations in the US. Regardless of whether or not the record is broken this year the main goal of the GCDC is to spread awareness that using … Read More